Heavy Duty Expansion

Published 6:00 pm Sunday, October 30, 2011

Bernie Reed smiled broadly as he waited forthe piece of equipment to be unloaded.

    Getting the 65,000-pound component for Reed’s Metals’ new purlinsmill would be no easy task. A coordinated effort involving fourwrecker service trucks’ tow cable systems was needed to get theheavy equipment lowered from the delivery truck to the ground.

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    “This is the last piece of equipment we need to be able to doeverything for a metal building in-house from start to finish,”Reed said. “That’s why I’m so excited.”

    The purlins mill came to the Lincoln County business in fourshipments from Broussard, La. The heaviest component came Thursdayafternoon and all parts were expected by Friday morning.

    Reed said a new purlins mill costs around $1.3 million, but he wasable to find one at the Louisiana auction for about half thatamount. The cost of the equipment was one factor in getting thefour trucks from Davis Wrecker Service involved in the deliveryprocess.

    “It’s the only safe way to get it off without bending one of theshafts,” Reed said.

    Reed said he hopes to have the purlins mill, which is used to makecertain support beams for a building’s roof, up and running inabout three weeks.

    The mill will eventually have its own building, which Reed hopes tohave constructed in about four to six months. For now, the millwill be housed elsewhere at the company on Highway 84.

    “We’re knocking out some walls and going to make it work until wecan get a new building to house it,” Reed said.

    Reed said the mill is about 175 feet in length from start to finishand will need 6 feet of foundation because of the weight. Soiltesting is currently under way on the planned location for the newmill.

    A purlins mills was in his long-range plans, but Reed said gettingit now will allow the company to speed up those plans by aboutthree or four years. Reed was unsure if the mill would lead to anynew jobs, but he was optimistic it would boost the company’sefforts to surpass $5 million in annual sales next year.

    “We’re not banking on it, but that’s what we hope,” Reed said.

    Reed said his would be the only purlins mill he knew of inMississippi south of Highway 82. Others are in Pontotoc, Batesvilleand Oxford.

    “There’s nothing around here close,” Reed said.

    Reed said the mill would allow the company to minimize inventoryspace. He said orders for purlins, which can be formed in the shapeof a C or a Z, could be done the day before they are to beshipped.

    “You feed the material in one side and it’ll come out a finishedproduct on the other,” Reed said.

    Cliff Brumfield, Brookhaven-Lincoln County executive vicepresident, applauded the new addition to Reed’s Metals. He said thecompany has seen “phenomenal” growth since it started in 1998.

    “Reed’s Metals continues to be well-equipped to provide qualityservices to its customers, which in turn brings in dollars toLincoln County,” Brumfield said.

    Brumfield said it is exciting to see the company grow, especiallyin light of current economic conditions around the country. Heexpected continued growth from the company.

    “Reed’s Metals is definitely on the right track and one to watch inthe coming years,” Brumfield said.